Fire Emblem: Radiance of War
by marcus00721
Summary: Six months after the defeat of Ashera. Peace has returned to Tellius in many ways. But another threat looms over the continent, aiming to drag it back to the depths of war once again...
1. Prologue: Dual

It had been six months since the defeat of the Goddess, Ashera. Peace returned to Tellius in all sorts of ways. Crimea more or less recovered completely from the Mad King's War with Queen Elincia leading the country towards a golden age. Daein's ways changed greatly due to Queen Micaiah, who people often herald as the greatest ruler of the country. Gallia, too, was at peace. The racism against the laguz, while still existent in some places, diminished greatly. The bond between Beoric and Laguz grew stronger due to Queen Elincia's efforts, but it is hard to remove the hate from an entire race from everyone. Skirmir served as the king of Gallia shortly after Ashera's defeat, and his hot headedness did cool down just a tad. Lastly, the supreme country of Begnion. As Empress Sanaki promised, the land taken from the Herons was given back without delay, and she also made sure to elect a few prime ministers, those who she was sure she could trust. In all, the land of Tellius experienced a blissful period of peace. However, that peace would not last for very long….

.

.

The story begins at a small village, just within Crimea's borders. From the inn, Mia the Trueblade stepped out, giving a large yawn. It was pretty early in the morning, but she had to get going because she planned to drop by Greil's retreat and see how the others were doing. "Thanks for the stay, but I have to get going now!" Mia nodded, running out of the small village after.

"She forgot to pay…" The inn keeper sighed heavily.

"To be fair, she saved us from those bandits last night…" A visitor replied.

Mia was in a hurry, if that wasn't clear by the dust she was leaving behind in her sprint. She came to a large clearing, now looking back and forth. "Oh, fudge…" She groaned, scratching her head while looking around. "I always get lost here…gosh darnit…" The Trueblade sighed, taking the time to get her bearings straight. "Okay, let's see…"

"Excuse me…" A calm, male voice said, causing Mia to turn around.

"Nani?" Mia turned, raising a brow at the sudden voice. She placed her hands on her hips, eying the stranger before her. Nothing special, minus the fact the strange wore a hood, covering his face. "Can I help you…?"

"Yes…" The male nodded slowly. "I heard you're the wandering swordswoman, Mia, yes? Former member of the Greil Mercenaries?"

"Huh…" Mia blinked a few times. "I didn't know I was getting a reputation out there…" She then rubbed the back of her head in a slightly sheepish manner. "Hehe…why do you ask, stranger?"

"You may call me Waiston…" The male replied, drawing two blades from his back. Mia was no stranger to swords, yet the two blades held by this Waiston character were strangely crafted. The blades were finely sharpened and gave off an odd aura. "And I came to look for you because I heard you're one of the best Trueblades around.

"Well aren't those some finely sharpened blades you have there…" Mia said while examining the blades in Waiston's hand. She then gave a smile, pulling out her own sword of choice, the Tempest Blade. "Very well, I accept your challenge! But one thing! You better not go easy on me just because I'm a woman!"

"These are the Holy Swords…Oh, don't worry…" Waiston said while readying himself. "I have no intention of holding anything back…"

"Excellent!" Mia gave a grin. "Now, prepare yourself!" With that, Mia was off like the wind. Her exceptionally high speed showed as she closed the distance between herself and Waiston within mere seconds. Once close, she swung the blade towards the male, only to find that her strike was blocked with a simple action, Waiston raising his arms to block the swing. "He's quick…Normally that works…" Mia thought to herself before back flipping a few feet before charging in once again. "Ha! Ha! Ha!" Mia exclaimed, now aiming multiple flashes towards her opponent, not giving an inch.

"Impressive swordsmanship…" Waiston commented while waving a single sword around, using that to parry Mia's strikes away. He held his ground quite well, much to Mia's surprise. "You've more than your weapons on you, correct?"

"Eh…?" Mia grunted before jumping back once again. Was he toying with her, or was he really that much better than a sword than she was? "Try this on for size!" Mia exclaimed, spinning the blade around in her hand before slashing it forward, aiming a hit of critical proportions towards her new opponent, unleashing a powerful blade of wind towards the stationary swordsman.

"Oh, impressive power…" Waiston commented to himself before bringing up both swords, using that to block the incoming wind slash. The power was so impressive that he actually slid back a few inches before slashing it away. "Ha…! Not bad, that one almost landed."

Mia glared towards Waiston, she couldn't help but feel he was taking it easy on her, despite the fact she was in a losing situation with her lack of offensive momentum. "I'm not about to let you make a fool of me!" Mia exclaimed, twirling her blade around a few times. "Let's see how you deal against the five strikes!" Astra time, as she so called it. In a flash, she appeared before Waiston, now swinging her blade for five consecutive strikes, not leaving any opening for a counter attack. Though one was not needed, as Wasiton swayed his body left and right, avoiding each and every slash sent by Mia, but he did jump back to avoid the final slash, sliding across the ground after. "Impossible…" Mia stared at her opponent with widened eyes. She'd yet to lay a hit on him and she was throwing everything she had at him and more. "No, you mustn't even think of giving up, Mia! What would Boss do in this situation…" She paused for a moment before it hit it her. "Aha…!" She dashed once again, bringing her sword up high, preparing a downward strike. Once close she swung down, but it was a miss, of course.

"Are you sure you're as good as they say…?" Waiston asked with obvious skepticism.

"Sometimes it's the worst moves that can end up helping you…" Mia replied as her blade hit the ground. Her purple hair covered her eyes, but there was an obvious smirk on her face. "For example…"

Waiston's eyes widened immediately. Mia's "miss" was intentional, leaving him with his guard down. Before he could react, Mia slashed up, finally landing a hit. "GAH…" Waiston grunted, sliding back to avoid any other potential hits.

"Ha!" Mia grinned quite proudly. She wasn't out of this battle yet. "How did that feel?"

Waiston reached to his now open wound, wincing slightly at the pain. But, he didn't frown, he grinned. "That was the first time in years that someone managed to land a hit on me…you are quite the impressive swordswoman…But do not forget…now, it is my turn."

"Urk…" Mia gulped silently. She wasn't afraid, but she came to a realization. She spent so much effort attempting to land a hit on her opponent, and throughout her entire assault, she only managed to land one slash. She didn't realize it until now, but she was also panting somewhat due to fatigue from the nonstop assault. She found her share of experienced swordsman in her travels, but nothing such as the male before her.

"One more thing…" Waiston said while sliding into a stance. "My real name isn't Waiston. It's Eigrior."

"I'm not backing down…whoever you are…" Mia replied, sliding into her own defensive stance to fend off against the soon to come response.

"Very good…you'll make a nice addition…" Short and sweet, Eigrior said with a grin. In a flash, he was gone. He appeared just before Mia, swinging once of his Holy Swords towards the Trueblade. With haste, Mia brought up her blade to block the strike, but there was so much power behind it she staggered backwards nearly dropping her sword in the process. "Keheh…" Eigrior grinned, continuing his assault. His next slash was aimed towards Mia's sword hand, sending the sword flying from Mia's hand.

"Gah…" Mia yelped, jumping back as far as she could, now looking over to her sword which was a few feet away from her. She then put her hands up; she couldn't beat this man's speed.

"Impressive, Mia…" Eigrior said with a sadistic grin. "It's a shame your talents had to go wasted like this…"

Mia glared towards the male, inching slowly her blade. "…."

"Oh, no…I'm not letting you go away so easily…" Eigrior grinned, a bright aura surrounding his body as he whispered in a sadistic tone. "I'm going to make you screaaaaam~" With that, he appeared before Mia within a flash, swinging his blades in an X formation. He was so fast it looked as though he went through her, now standing behind her.

Mia's eyes widened before her body fell limp, hitting the ground with her eyes completely white.

"Ufufufu…" Eigrior grinned widely at his accomplishment. "Step one, complete…"


	2. Chapter 1: A Break In The Peace

Location: Crimea Castle.

The cooks of the castle hurried to create large quantities of food. It was hectic in the kitchen as large plates of food were brought out to the dining hall. Why was this? One person and one person alone could be the reason for this. Ilyana scarfed down anything and everything her hands touched…this included plates as well. She, Muston, Aimee, Jorge, Daniel, Ranulf, Lethe, and Mordecai were visiting Crimea Castle and Ilyana was eating everything, as usual. "My goodness…that girl's appetite never ceases to amaze me…" Lucia said while rubbing the back of her head. "Are you all sure you don't want any food…?"

"We're fine!" Muston said with a nod. "Besides, she'd just swipe it anyway, haha…"

"If you need anything, feel free to let me know. I'll do my best to make sure our guests are taken care of," Lucia gave a firm nod.

"Can you bring Ike here?" Aimee asked with complete seriousness.

"I…don't think that's one wish I can't accommodate…" Lucia replied with a nervous smile and comical sweat drop. "A-Anyway, I'll let Queen Elincia know of your presence. Today is one of the days she happens to be free from all duties, and I'm sure she'll be delighted to see you all." After that nod, Lucia left to retrieve the queen.

"It's great to see that Crimea has finally recovered from the wars…" Ranulf said while rubbing the back of his head. "Seemed like it would never with everything that went on."

"You're telling us…" Makalov said while lazily sitting around, drinking some beer. "With all that hard work I put it, it better have paid off, you know…!"

"You didn't do anything, as far as I recall…" Geoffrey pointed out, raising a brow to the pink haired horseman.

"Actually, sir…" Astrid piped up, sticking up for Makalov as she usually did. "Sir Makalov did an excellent job making sure the slackers stayed on task!"

"Which task, exactly?" Marcia asked, tilting her head with a slight glare towards her brother. "The task they were supposed to be doing, or the task my lazy oaf of a brother usually does, which is NOTHING!"

"Now, now…!" Kieran tried to interfere before things got to hectic between everyone.

"This food is divine…" Ilyana commented, but everyone was too busy getting ready to argue.

"Sometimes I still can't believe these Beorc…" Lethe pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a heavy sigh while shaking her head. "Arguing almost every day…"

"Seeing them fight this way makes Mordecai laugh a little bit…" Mordecai said while letting out a light laugh.

"I see you all are as relaxed as ever before…" Calill said while walking into the dining hall.

"Oh, you're here too?" Geoffrey asked the arch sage.

"Of course, I heard that the queen wasn't busy today and I decided to drop in and see how she was doing!" The sophisticate replied while waving a dismissive hand.

"Yeesh, that news has gotten a little farther than I would've liked it too…" Geoffrey grumbled.

"Oh relax; I won't lay a finger on her pretty little green head!" Calill replied, aiming to ease Geoffrey's now stiff and protective attitude.

A few minutes later, the queen herself arrived in the hall in all her glory, causing everyone but Ilyana who was too busy eating, to bow. Elincia smiled at the sight of her old companions. "Hello, everyone…it's so nice to see you all…"

"Nice to see you again, Queen Elincia!" Ranulf said with a large grin.

"Ranulf!" Elincia acknowledged the laguz. "I'm glad you came by for a visit. How does Gallia fare these days?"

"Well, Skirmir is still a bit of a hot-head, but he's leading the country just as well as the previous ruler. Unfortunately, Caineghis has fallen ill, so he's not doing too well lately."

"That's unfortunate…I wish for a speedy recovery on his part." Elincia nodded. "Lethe, Mordecai, I'm glad you two have made it as well. As for you, Calill, and the Merchant Caravan…" Her gaze then shifted to Ilyana, who just ran out of food. There were about twenty plates of food around the arch sage, and she just burped. "Oh my…how long has she been eating…?"

"It's only been about 10 minutes, your highness…" Lucia said with a slight sigh.

"Some things never change…" Makalov said with a heavy sigh.

"Look who's talking, you lazy buffoon…" Marcia said while cutting her eyes toward her sibling.

Everyone let out a hearty laugh except for Makalov. "You know…" He started. "I came here to have a good time and honestly I'm feeling so attacked right now…"

"Queen Elincia!" A guard shouted, bursting through the front doors, clearly alarmed.

"W-What's wrong…!?" Elincia was clearly startled by the sudden appearance of the guards.

"T-There are intruders in the castle!" The guard shouted.

"W-WHAT!?" Geoffrey immediately went on edge. "That shouldn't be possible! What happened!?"

"S-Sir!" The guard saluted before getting into the story. "Just a few moments ago, we were all stationed at the entrance, when suddenly an explosion destroyed the front doors!"

"An attack on the castle!? Unacceptable!" Kieran roared, hoisting his Sliver Poleax high into the air. "We must show them the power of the Crimean Royal Knights!"

"Precisely!" Geoffrey nodded. "Attacking while Sir Renning is away on a mission…Everyone, to battle!"

"Can't I eat a little more first…?" Ilyana whined. "I hate fighting on an empty stomach…"

.

.

"Oi, oi…" A knight clad in entirely green armor from head to toe waltzed into the front entrance of the castle. Following behind him were about 25 knights dressed in generic armor. "So, this is Castle Crimea Castle, eh? Doesn't seem like anything special."

"Sir Green Knight!" A knight reported. "There appears to be a small force ready to oppose us!"

"Is that so? Very well, welcome them in!" the Green Knight exclaimed.

"Here they come!" A solider pointed towards the second floor.

{Units: Geoffrey, Kieran, Astrid, Makalov, Marcia, Calill, Ilyana, Ranulf, Lethe, Mordecai, Lucia, Elincia}

Geoffrey led the group down to the first floor, riding down on his horse while staring down at the first floor, eyes locking onto the Green Knight. "I am the commander of the Crimean Royal Knights!" He exclaimed, pointing his Brave Lance towards the knight. "I suggest you throw down your weapons and leave this place immediately. If you don't we will use force! This is your last chance!"

"Ah, Sliver Knight Geoffrey…" The Green Knight chuckled, completely waving off Geoffrey's threat. "We are well aware who you all are, but we've orders to make sure you're worth the attention my superior has given you. As you can see, our numbers more than double yours, and we've a few reinforcements on the way!"

"Then we'll just have to take both you and your reinforcements down…" Lucia said while readying her Sliver Blade. "I won't allow you to bring harm to the Queen or anyone in this castle."

"Oh yes, please, provide me with some entertainment!" The Green Knight laughed.

"I see you will not be swayed…" Elincia said while riding onto the scene on her Pegasus. "Very well…Though I do not wish to bring harm to you, I'll do whatever I need to do to protect my castle and my country…"

"Man, things can't stay peaceful for less than a year, can it…?" Ranulf sighed, shaking his head. Suddenly bright light surrounded his body as he slowly shifted into his cat form. "But, we can't allow any harm to come to the Queen either, correct?"

"That's right…" Lethe nodded, the same light surrounding both her and Mordecai as they entered their respective Laguz forms. "The King would not be pleased with us if we did…"

"Is everyone ready?" Geoffrey asked, only getting nods in response. Everyone was ready for combat against the Green Knight and his men. "Excellent. Charge!"

{Mission: Rout the enemy!}


	3. Chapter 2: Mysterious Invaders

{Units: Geoffrey, Kieran, Astrid, Makalov, Marcia, Calill, Ilyana, Ranulf, Lethe, Mordecai, Lucia, Elincia

Objective: Rout the enemy!}

Crimea Castle was once against caught in the middle of a heated battle. The mysterious Green Knight who invaded Elincia's castle came with full intent to take the Queen down. "Just who are these guys…?" Lucia questioned while dashing towards a few Reavers with her Sliver Blade in hand. She swung once, only for a surprising miss considering how fast she was. When she turned, her eyes widened to see an axe from behind nearly chop her head off. If it weren't for Mordecai's sudden tackle, she would've been dead. "I can't believe it…Thank you, Mordecai." Turning her attention back to her target, she attempted a stab, which landed its mark. She dropped the foe, who was surprisingly strong.

"Oh man…how troublesome is this…" Makalov questioned while riding along his horse, swinging his sword occasionally when he passed someone.

"OI, you lazy good for nothing…!" Marcia shouted at her older brother in anger, impaling some poor archer who tried to shoot her down with a Sliver Bow. "Can you take anything seriously!? This is important; I oughta make you my lance's next victim!"

"W-Whoa…let's just be calm now…" Makalov spoke in his usual tone, attempting to cool Marcia down.

"He's just doing what he can to weaken the enemy before going for the finishing blow!" Astrid commented attempting to defend Makalov, sniping down some people on the ground level from above. Her aim was precise as always, making her a difficult unit to take down.

"Oh, what's this?" The Green Knight took notice to the Laguz who fought along the humans. "I wasn't aware the Queen of Crimea enjoyed enlisting the help of dirty, filthy BEASTS to fight alongside her subjects."

It was that comment that ticked Ranulf, Elincia, Lethe, and Mordecai off. "I would never…!" Elincia replied, taking offensive to the tone the Green Knight was using. "They are treated just as equally as every Beorc!"

"Is that what you enjoy telling yourself?" The Green Knight questioned with an obvious smirk visible under his helmet. "We all know these animals and Beorc will never be on equal terms…"

"Animals…?" Ranulf repeated while attempting to keep calm. Sub-human was one thing, but animals? It felt like a completely lower term than the one that was currently dying.

"Sub-human is speaking as though you actually have an ounce of dignity worth mentioning…" The Green Knight spoke with a nod. That reply was all he needed to get the Laguz to pounce on him.

"W-Wait…don't be so hasty….!" Ilyana warned, but it was far too late.

Ranulf was the first one to strike, immediately lunging towards the Green Knight; once a few feet away he took a leapt and attempted to claw at the male's armor, but it was a failure. The Green Knight pulled out an exceptionally large lance and pointed it forward; the tip of the lance literally shot forward, causing the eyes of the Crimean Forces to widen. Ranulf was caught off guard and the lance exploded once it struck, dealing fire damage which was highly effective against Beast Laguz. Ranulf flew back a few feet before landing on his side, covered in burn marks. "Fire…?" He grunted, struggling to keep his balance.

"Ranulf…!" Elincia was quickly to hurry to the cat's side, pulling out a Mend staff. A soft blue light emitted from the staff, beginning to heal Ranulf's injuries. "Are you alright!?"

"I'm fine…" Ranulf said with a reassuring nod. "I wasn't expecting that…what kind of weapon is he carrying…?"

Mordecai and Lethe were up next. Both of them were attempting to flank the Green Knight out of rage for his comment towards them. The GK merely chuckled and held his lance out once again, revealing it to be a dual sided lance. Holding it parallel to the ground, both sides of the lance shot out and impaled Lethe and Mordecai on the shoulders, causing them to tumble backwards. The lance retracted and the GK began to menacingly walk towards the downed Lethe, raising one end of his spear up. "The first of filthy beasts to die will be you…"

"Meteor…!" Calill exclaimed, a seal appearing in the sky for just a moment before dropping a meteor right on top of the GK, causing him to back away.

Using this advantage, Geoffrey and his trusty steed galloped forward. With his Brave Lance in hand, he attempted to strike the off guard Green Knight. He managed a single blow, but the others were blocked and parried, which forced Geoffrey to pull back. "A hit, but it didn't look like it did as much damage as it was supposed to…" He remarked while watching the opponent carefully. Most of the Green Knight's men had been taken care of by this point, even though it was with some difficulty.

"So, you've defeated all my men, have you…?" The Knight asked with a tone of intrigue. "Interesting, you're all not as weak as I originally thought you were. You have my attention now that you've gotten this far…but there is likely no chance you'll be able to defeat me."

"What country do you hail from!?" Elincia demanded to know. As far as she knew, every country in Tellius was on extremely good terms with each other. "There should be no reason for such an assault during a time of peace!"

"Ha…" The Green Knight shook his head, merely letting out an amused sigh at the question that demanded an answer. "You don't have to worry your pretty little head off, Your Highness. My army and I do not hail from Daein, Begnion, Goldoa, nowhere on Tellius if I'm to be technical."

"What is that supposed to mean…? Nowhere on Tellius…?" Lucia questioned. "Yune was the cause of the Great Flood, which only left Tellius…"

"Oh..? Even the Goddess herself was unaware of our existence it seems…how amusing." The Green Knight chuckled once more before readying his lance. "That's all the answers I'm willing to give for the time being. If you want more answers from me, you'll have to defeat me combat, General Geoffrey."

"Beat the answers out of him, General!" Kieran exclaimed while waving his axe around.

"If you insist…" Geoffrey nodded firmly while readying his Brave Lance. He clicked his heels onto his steed's side, and began the charge forward. Once closing the gap, Geoffrey swung his lance twice, once down and swiftly brought it up for an upwards slash. Both of these were skillfully blocked by the opposing Knight, but the green clad enemy was forced to take a few steps back from the Geoffrey's strength. "He's powerful alright…" Geoffrey mumbled while readying his lance once again.

"So, the rumors are true…" The Green Knight grunted before regaining his balance. "Now, it's my turn." Pressing his forward leg on the ground, the Green Knight prepared himself before lunging forward, swinging around his dual sided lance to put pressure on Geoffrey. The Crimean General managed to parry the strikes well at first, but each strike progressively got harder and harder, eventually forcing his lance to fly from his hand.

"Guh…!" Geoffrey grunted, but the next thing he knew, he was knocked from his horse. He hit the castle floor on his back, the Green Knight now standing over him.

"Geoffrey…!" Lucia and Elincia shouted in unison.

"A little less impressive…" The Green Knight shrugged. "I wouldn't suggest you all move, otherwise I'll skewer him without a second thought."

"Bastard…" Lucia growled.

"I believe you'll be coming with me, Royal Knight commander," The Green Knight began, but stopped when the faint sound of galloping entered his ears. He looked around, realizing it wasn't coming from anyone around. "What…?" He turned, only to see Renning riding in with his sword raised. "…!" The Green Knight dove to the side just as Renning swung, narrowly evading the strike. "Oh, a party crasher…!"

"Uncle Renning…!" Elincia let out a heavy sigh of relief, bringing her hands to her chest. "Thank goodness…"

"Old foggy…" The Green Knight cleared his throat while regaining his stance. "I know when I'm outnumbered…but I do hope you'll continue to give chase. Your country is in danger otherwise…" With that, the opposing Knight left the castle.

"What happened in here….?" Renning questioned. "Was that an assailant from another country?"

"He said he wasn't from Tellius…" Elincia replied. "But he also said we'd be in danger soon…"

"We need to consul before we do anything else." Renning nodded after giving this order. "You must rest before moving out again."

.

.

{Daein Keep}

Queen Micaiah was exhausted; being the queen of the country really took a toll on her at times, however she didn't mind it. Doing whatever she could do for the country she loved so dearly was her dream. Luckily for her, she had some time for a small break. She sat on the throne, letting out a small sigh. "It's been a long six months, but I am glad there is finally peace…"

"You've done this country well, my queen…" Pelleas spoke as he walked into the throne room, giving Micaiah a respectful bow. "You've done more for this country than I could ever hope…"

"Oh, you're much too kind…" Micaiah spoke while waving a dismissive hand, yet there was a bright smile on her face. "I know you had the people's best interests in mind…and how lovely it is to see you today."

"I heard you had some time today. A little birdy told me…" Pelleas nudged his head to the door, where Sothe, Nolan, Edward, Aran, Leonardo and Laura walked in.

"I gathered some guests to say hello, I hope you don't mind," Sothe spoke with a slight smile.

"Of course not!" Micaiah replied. "I haven't seen you all since six months ago…"

"It's a little hard getting an audience with the Queen, especially when she's busy 24/7," Edward spoke with a little laugh.

"We simply must catch up…" Micaiah said while standing from the throne, lightly clasping her hands together. "How does some tea sound?"

"I do enjoy some tea every now and then…" Nolan spoke while stroking his chin. "Yes, I believe this sounds like a wonderful idea. Look at how all of you have grown, I'm proud…"

"Quit it, old man…" Leonardo spoke with an embarrassed expression.

"M-My Queen!" A Daein guard rushed into the throne room, immediately taking a knee. "Please forgive my intrusion, but there is an emergency!"

"What's the matter?" Micaiah questioned; she had a bad feeling in her stomach about this.

"T-The main hall…!" The guard stammered.

"We're not getting any answers out of him like this…" Sothe sighed before waving a hand, ushering for everyone to follow him. "Let's go!"

The Dawn Brigade rushed out of the throne room to the main hall; what they saw surprised them. Little white wisps were floating all around the area eerily. At the back of it on the second floor was a mysterious cloaked figure, waving their hands around to command the wisps' movement.

"W-What the hell is this…!?" Aran's jaw dropped at the sight. There were people unconscious on the floor; it was hard to tell if they were dead or not.

"Things just can't stay peaceful for at least a year, can they…?" Sothe let out a heavy sigh while pulling out the Baselard, preparing to use the knife. Though he wasn't exactly sure if it would work or not, but he had to try. He had to protect Micaiah after all. "Micaiah, if things get too rough, stay back alright?" He turned his head to glance at the Light Priestess, but it looked like she was ignoring him. "Micaiah…?"

"…" Micaiah had a slight sweat drop on the side of her head. Her gaze passed all the floating wisps and focused on the figure all the way at the back controlling them. She spotted a red eye from the shrouded identity. "They're…calling me…I can sense it…" Without a second thought, Micaiah bolted down the stairs, inadvertently leaving the others to deal with the mess.

"Wait!" Sothe attempted to give chance, but his path was blocked by the wisps. "Dammit…!"


	4. Chapter 3: Dark Purity

"Micaiah, where are you going…!" Laura exclaimed with worry as the queen of Daein rushed down the stairs and past the invading wisps.

"This isn't like her…" Sothe grunted. As much as he wanted to go after Micaiah, he had to help get rid of these mysterious wisps first and foremost. "What the hell are these things anyway…?" They weren't attacking, which kept Sothe on edge. They just floated around him eerily.

"These things are giving me the creeps…" Edward said with a small gulp. "They aren't doing anything…"

"Careful, now…" Nolan warned, having the Tarvos at the ready. "Something about this isn't right…"

"You can say that again…" Aran glanced back and forth. The wisps were everywhere, and it was sending chills down his spine. Suddenly, the wisps began to grow in intensity, flaring out violently. This caused everyone to step back; a bright flash of light occurred, and the wisps took an entirely different form, one that shocked the Dawn Brigade. The wisps took the forms of the Dawn Brigade, though their figures were pale and ghostly.

"W-What the hell…!?" Leonardo took a mortified step back. "What is this…!?"

"It's…us….?" Pelleas attempted to take in the sight, but it was too shocking.

"W-What on Tellius is going on here…" Laura asked while keeping close to Aran.

Sothe swung his knife at the ghost version of himself; it felt strange to attack himself, but it was a direct hit. The wisp staggered back, but there were no visible signs of damage. "What…?" He questioned before taking a leap back. The other version of himself attempted to slice his head off with a copy of the Baselard, but he narrowly evaded. "Guh…these things are fast…!"

"Too many questions are going through my head, but for now we must focus and back up Micaiah as soon as we are able." Nolan took charge of the Dawn Brigade once again for this one battle. With Micaiah going on ahead, he felt it was necessary to take the lead. "Push through as best you can, but don't make any mistakes! If they're as strong as we are, we could run into some problems."

"Glad to see that wit of yours hasn't dulled, Nolan," Sothe gave an understanding nod before getting into position. "There's one thing that bothers me about all of this, though…out of all these copies, one of us is missing…"

"Missing…?" Nolan questioned before giving a slight nod. "Yes, you seem to be correct on that, Sothe…something isn't quite right here. But we can focus on that later. For now, we must fight, and hastily. Micaiah will need the back up."

"Right," Sothe nodded. "Let's move."

Micaiah bolted down the stairs, glancing to the left and right every so often. The ghostly recreations of her dear friends bothered her slightly. She had no idea who was capable of doing such a thing, and she had no idea why. Once reaching the bottom of the staircase, she confronted the mysterious robed marauder. "You…you're the cause of all this, aren't you?"

The figure remained silent, staring at Micaiah intently. "…" Tilting their head up, a pair of red eyes glared towards the Light Priestess. "You…" The voice sounded all too familiar to Micaiah. For starters, it was feminine. It was almost as if…

"Me…?" Micaiah blinked. "What is it you want with me? Don't bring my friends into this if it's just me you're after…"

"Friends…?" The figure shook their head, not keeping their gaze off the silver haired maiden. "Don't try to distract me…I'm here just for you." Bringing a hand up, the mysterious robed female created a sphere of black light magic into her palm. "(The dark light around my heart, come forth and crush my enemy)! " She then threw her hand forward, releasing a massive pillar of black light from underneath Micaiah.

"W-What…!?" Micaiah looked down at her feet, noticing the pillar beginning to form underneath her. She was taken off guard for a second, but quickly rolled to the side. Her foot was caught as the pillar rose from the floor, causing her to tumble for a second, but she caught herself and winced. The pillar of black light destroyed the ceiling and continued to "H-How did you do that…what was that light magic…!?"

"Did you see that…!?" Edward's eyes widened in utter shock.

"Was that the ancient language…?" That seemed to be Nolan's main concern. He was certain Micaiah could handle something of that caliber.

"That…was that dark magic…?" Laura immediately turned to Pelleas for an answer, but he only gave a shake of his head.

"That was no dark magic I've ever seen before…" Pelleas replied. He was taken off guard, so he didn't see the arrow from a False Leonardo coming. It clipped his shoulder, causing him to fall to a knee. "Ngh…!"

"Took us off guard…back to positions…!" Nolan exclaimed.

"Are you alright!?" Laura questioned, leaning over Pelleas with a Mend staff to heal his injury.

"I'll be fine…" Pelleas replied.

Ignoring the pain in her foot, Micaiah prepared her own spell. Light magic began to gather around her palm, and a magic seal formed in the air above the mysterious opponent. "(Light of the heavens, rain down…and strike my enemy)! Elight!" Rays of light shot down from the seal, attempting to converge on the female. It was a direct hit, but the target looked as though they hardly took any damage from the attack. "Mgh…"

"This is the light magic you use…?" The female questioned before shaking her head. "I believed that to be lost…but no matter." As she spoke, she balled her hand into a fist, the same eerie black light forming around her palm. "Perish!" Her hand flew forward, releasing multiple rays of black light that traveled towards Micaiah.

"Purify!" Micaiah mirrored the exact same action as her opponent, sending rays of light to counter the black light that threatened to damage her. The result was a collision that exploded on impact, creating a thin cloud of dust.

"Those two are completely even down there…" Aran couldn't help but watch the fight going on, all while using his sturdy defenses to defend the others when necessary.

"All the more reason for us to hurry up…but these things are annoyingly stubborn…" Sothe grunted in annoyance. Seconds later, a large door flew open; Zihark and Jill were battling copies of themselves. It was a stalemate between the two of them, causing them to retreat. "Huh?"

"These things…what are they, and why are they so annoying to kill…!?" Jill shouted somewhat angrily. "I didn't think I'd ever be fighting myself, but this is ridiculous…"

"No kidding…I had enough of fighting things like this after dealing with the Goddess…" Zihark replied to Jill's statement. "We must warn Micaiah and the others before it's too late…!" And as soon as he turned around, he spotted the others dealing with the same dilemma. "Oh…"

"Zihark! Jill!" Edward waved the two over. "Hurry up; we can take them if we outnumber them!"

"As much as we would enjoy helping you, we're a little tied up with other matters…" Zihark pointed to his ghostly clone, still wearing a look of disgust the longer he stared at it. "Do you know what these things are!?"

"Whatever it is, the person Micaiah is fighting is controlling them!" Leonardo exclaimed. He thought he was free and attempted to take a shot, but was proven wrong as the false version of him was still kicking. The arrow fired was quickly destroyed by the copy's arrow. "Man…" Turning, the Marksman scowled and aimed his bow at the copy. "I swear I got rid of you…!"

"I'll assist her!" Jill nodded and clicked her heels on the side of her trusty wyvern. The green wyvern let out a small cry for battle before flying down. Jill almost made it, but was intercepted by a wisp version of herself. Axes collided, causing sparks to fly. "I thought I killed you…!"

The robed female glanced up, briefly gazing at the fight occurring with her wisp creations before turning her attention back on Micaiah. "(Rays of black light shine on)! " A sphere of black light appeared on her palm, unleashing larger rays of dark light towards Micaiah.

Micaiah was light on her feet. She spun around to dodge the rays, which only managed to graze her, dealing minor damage. At was the moment she could tell this was no normal light magic; it was tainted, but with what? Food for thought later; for now she had a clear opening and planned to abuse it to the full extent. "(Shatter the armor that protects mine enemy)! Thani!"" A large sphere of light formed just above the opposing female, and dropped right on her in a large explosion of light. The robe flew right off the female, leaving her identity shrouded only by the light. When it faded, Micaiah's eyes widened. It all made sense the second she saw it. Micaiah was looking directly at herself. No…it wasn't herself. This other Micaiah had black hair and red eyes, but it was without a doubt her. She could sense it, they were the same. "W-W…wha…."

"Sothe! Look!" Aran pointed down below, covering for Sothe so he could gaze on the sight.

"WHA!?" Sothe was likely just as shocked as Micaiah was. There were two of them standing right next to each other. "I'm going down there!" Sothe prepared to jump, but the wisps relinquished their human forms and created a large wall, blocking any entry beyond that point. The Dawn Brigade could only watch this confrontation between Micaiah and the other one. "Shit…!"

"I don't like where this is going…" Pelleas' tone dropped.

"You…you're me…but not at the same time…" Micaiah finally concluded. "Who are you!?"

"I believe you just answered your own question…" We'll dub this Micaiah as Dark Micaiah for the time being. Dark Micaiah rolled her eyes slightly, letting out a heavy sigh. With her robe gone, another thing was noticed that made her different from Micaiah. There was a scabbard on her hip, and a blade was tucked snugly inside. "You and I…we are not the same person…" Placing her hand around the hilt of her blade, she slowly began to draw the weapon forth. Of course, to make matters even more concerning, the blade she had was no ordinary blade. It was the legendary blade Ragnell; yet, she was holding it with both hands, having little trouble supporting it.

"That blade…!" Micaiah felt her heart drop. She only knew of one person even capable of wielding that blade. "W-Where did you get that!?"

"This?" Dark Micaiah glanced at the blade in her hands before shrugging. "Where do you think I got this blade?"

Micaiah took an uneasy step back. "General Ike…" She muttered, keeping her attention on her counterpart. "To wield that blade…are you even capable of performing such a feat?"

"Why don't we find out?" Dark Micaiah responded with a slight smirk curling onto her lips. She raised the blade up and slashed twice in an X formation. Two blue shockwaves crossed paths, taking the form of an X while racing towards Micaiah. The impact resulted in an explosion that threw Micaiah off her feet, hitting the floor with a harsh thud. Her body was covered in cuts and bruises, but she managed to make her way back to her feet, swaying back and forth slightly in a daze.

"Ugh…" Micaiah couldn't believe it, someone else currently possessed Ragnell. What did this mean about Ike? Where did this other her even come from? Too many questions needed answers.

"You're still standing…?" Dark Micaiah seemed rather impressed. "We'll see how long you can after this…" After speaking, a dark aura began to surround the holy sword. "Illuminous Strike!" She called out while rushing towards Micaiah. There was a heavy magic aura around the blade; Micaiah attempted to evade, but it was no use. The blade was swung three times, each of them landing their mark. To make matters worse, the magical attack pierced through her already lacking physical defense, making the blows that much stronger against her. The final slash was enough to send Micaiah into a wall, where she hit the floor, lying in a small pool of her own blood. "Even after all this time, you're not strong enough, it seems…" The dark doppelgänger began a slow walk towards the downed Micaiah, looking to finish things right then and there. "Oh well…" The blade was pressed against Micaiah's next.

"No, stop!" Sothe pleaded.

"MICAIAH!"


	5. Chapter 4: Priestess of Dusk

"Mmmg…" Micaiah groaned looking up at her counterpart with blurry vision. All she could really see was the blade Ragnell hanging above her. Everything was fuzzy and she was fading in and out of consciousness quickly.

"Micaiah!" Sothe exclaimed, slashing at the wall before him with the Baselard. It was useless, however. All of his efforts weren't strong enough to even dent the wall, let alone scratch it.

"No!" Edward shouted.

"This is where you meet your end…Micaiah!" Dark Micaiah exclaimed while raising the blade high over her head. Just as she brought the blade down, a voice called out to her, causing the blade to hit just beside Micaiah's head.

"Micaiah! Don't you dare continue!" A knight clad in blue armor waltzed into the room, looking quite displeased with Dark Micaiah's actions. There was a scowl visible underneath his helmet. "What do you think you're doing!?"

"Ivo…" Dark Micaiah let out a scoff, resting the blade over her shoulder. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm weeding out this version of me. I can't stand to be in the same place as her."

"Do not refer to me by my name…!" Ivo (The Blue Knight) spoke with a slight whine before clearing this throat. "You know those were NOT your orders! You weren't even supposed to let her see you at all!"

"What's going on here…?" Nolan questioned silently. "They seem to be a part of the same faction, yet their objectives seem different…"

"Your personal vendetta can wait another time. You were merely supposed to draw them out…" Ivo spoke while shaking his head. He then noticed that she was holding Ragnell, causing his eyes to pop out in an almost comical manner. "Why did you reveal that blade!? Micaiah, just what were you thinking!?"

"Hmph…" Dark Micaiah pointed the blade to Ivo's neck, wearing an unamused expression. "I do what I want. Do you want to be next, sir Blue Knight?" Slowly, Ivo shook his head and put his hands up. "That's what I thought." With that, the blade began to rest over the dark maiden's shoulder once again. "This would make things more interesting. She could feel exactly what it's like to have so many questions unanswered…"

"That's enough!" Ivo exclaimed. "This is precisely why I was told to accompany you, I knew you'd go too far if left unchecked."

"The wall is starting to weaken…she's not focused on it at all right now…" Zihark pointed out. "If we can slip through we might be able to do something about this…"

Micaiah slowly brought a hand up, generating a helix of light way above Dark Micaiah and Ivo. "Rexura…" The helix grew twice its size before falling on top of Dark Micaiah and Ivo, resulting in a large explosion of light that blinded everyone. Micaiah panted heavily keeping one eye closed desperately hoping that strongest light spell was enough to do the job.

The light slowly cleared, revealing both Dark Micaiah and Ivo to be damaged. Dark Micaiah was less damaged than Ivo was. "Tch…you see that? She's sneaky…"

"Looks like you two are the same after all…" Ivo spoke with a pained chuckle, but his witty remark resulted in getting the hilt of Ragnell to his stomach, causing him to hunch over with a few coughs. "Ouch…"

"Not even…that was enough…?" Micaiah sounded desperate was her breathing grew heavier.

"It'll never be enough… Dark Micaiah said before slamming the heel of her boot into Micaiah's rib, most certainly causing it to break. Micaiah let out a shriek of pain, collapsing back onto the floor. After that, she lifted up Micaiah by her collar to stare directly into her eyes. "Never…"

Micaiah's eyes widened as she finally got to look into her counterpart's eyes. The way they looked, it was almost as if… "I…"

"That's enough. We're leaving." Ivo commanded, beginning the way out.

"You get to live another day…" Dark Micaiah roughly dropped Micaiah to the ground and followed after Ivo. "Crimea should've had Igor's visit already by now…"

"Where do you think you're going!?" Edward, always the rash one; with the barrier now gone, he leapt from the stairs with his blade at the ready bringing it down towards Dark Micaiah. "You faker!"

"Edward, stop!" Leonardo exclaimed.

Dark Micaiah turned, clashing Ragnell with the Caladbolg. Sparks flew from contact, and Edward was surprised to see anyone other than a Trueblade keep up with his skills. "You were always annoyingly rash…" Dark Micaiah exclaimed before pushing Edward back.

The Trueblade flipped, landing on his feet perfectly. There was a slight scowl on his lips as he glanced back at the injured Micaiah. "You won't get away with this!" Once again, Edward began his charge. "See if you can beat this!" It was time to unleash Astra, something he normally wouldn't do unless he deemed it absolutely necessary. He rushed in with five swift, nearly untraceable slashes. Much to his surprise, Dark Micaiah was able to follow him movement for movement, bringing up Ragnell to counter each and every strike. Sparks flew and the blades made a 'CLANG!' with each collision.

"No way…she's keeping up with Edward…?" Leonardo was stunned at the display of swordsmanship.

"I think it's more to it than that…" Nolan commented.

"She might be…better…" Pelleas mumbled.

Laura was quickly running down the stairs, hoping to real Micaiah before her injuries started to take a serious toll. But she stopped when noticing Ivo had a Tomahawk at the ready, aiming right for her. "…!"

"I wouldn't if I were you…" Ivo spoke with a serious expression. "You should wait until we're finished here."

"I won't let you lay a finger on her…" Aran spoke while standing in front of Laura protectively, having his shield at the ready

"I do not think you wish to try me, Sentinel…" Ivo was serious, glancing over at Dark Micaiah. "Would you hurry up? We were supposed to be gone a while ago."

"Excuse me for attracting these moths to a fire…" Dark Micaiah rolled her eyes before pushing Edward away once again, following up with a horizontal slash, sending a blue wave in Edward's direction. He managed to block the attack, but it still sent him flying backwards after impact.

"Ha…!" Zihark leapt forward, now attempting to use his superior speed to attack. With Edward right beside him, it was looking difficult for Dark Micaiah; however she was faring just fine, easily managing to deflect the blades of her assailants. "She knows her way around a blade too well…"

"Enough of this nonsense…!" Dark Micaiah took a leap back, throwing her hand down immediately after landing. A sphere of black light formed over the two sword users; Dark Thani was cast and fell right on top of them, resulting in a large explosion that blew Edward, Zihark and everyone else back from its surprising radius. "Hmph!"

"Ngh…" Edward staggered around a little from the hit, but it was clear he wasn't finished yet. "I'm not…"

"Enough…" Ivo took his aim off Laura and Aran and instead took a step forward. "You're all becoming nuisances who don't know when they've lost." Pointing his axe at Edward, he beckoned him to come forth. "You who initiated this dual…come."

"An axe user…?" This caused a slight grin to cross Edward's lips. "Too easy…" Blade readied once more, Edward used his speed to try and defeat the Blue Knight in one fell swoop. "Haaaaaaa….!" He was stopped short just when he was in range. Ivo slammed his fist into Edward's stomach, causing him to hunch over and cough up blood. Edward collapsed almost immediately after the blow, gasping desperately for air.

"Edward?!" Leonardo panicked after seeing his friend take such a hit. "In one hit…!"

"Do you really wish to continue with this farce…?" Ivo questioned with a small grin forming on his lips. He was starting to get too excited for his own good.

"Please…stop everyone…" Micaiah pleaded. She was still conscious after all.

"Micaiah…but…" Sothe started.

"No…please…" Micaiah pleaded once again, shaking her head. "Please stop this…"

"What's this…?" Ivo raised a brow. "Is the Queen of Daein surrendering to us?" It was a pride shot; he wanted to see if Micaiah would take the bait.

"It's not worth it…" Micaiah admitted. "My pride as queen…or your need to defend me…if they will leave peacefully, I will concede."

"Micaiah, no! We can still…!" Sothe didn't want to hear this. The way she sounded, it was hard to listen to.

"Sothe, stop…" Micaiah cut him off. Her sliver hair created a shade over her eyes, but the tears rolling down her cheeks were still visible. "I remember that moment…when I almost lost you during the war. I don't want to lose any of you. Your lives are too important to me…I don't know what I would do without you with me. So please…"

"…." Dark Micaiah's eyes widened for just a moment before she let out a huff and turned, beginning to walk off. "We're leaving. I can't stand being in her presence any longer."

"What…!?" Ivo was shocked by the sudden decision. "I was just starting to have fun, and NOW you want to leave…!?" Grumbling, he followed behind the female. "I can't believe this…Priestess of Dusk ordering me around like this…" With that, the mysterious pair of assailants were gone.

"….Thank…goodness…" Micaiah's eyes closed and she fell back to the floor and slipped into an unconscious state.

"Micaiah…!" Laura rushed over, bringing up a Mend staff. The soft sea green light emitted from the staff began to patch up all of her injuries.

"Just who were those two…" Jill was left with a sour taste in her mouth. To hear Micaiah concede just to save their lives; if only she was a little faster. That thought plagued her mind for the hours to come.

"Edward, Zihark, are you two alright?" Nolan questioned. "You two look caught off guard…"

"I wasn't expecting to deal with Ragnell…" Edward replied while rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't think she would know her way around a sword that well, either…especially that one. Only General Ike could wield that blade, right?"

"I wonder if something happened to him…" Pelleas wondered aloud. "And where did that other Micaiah come from…why was she wielding that blade…who was the Blue Knight…?"

"Too many damn questions are up in the air…" Sothe said while lifting Micaiah into his arms. "Let's just wait until Micaiah recovers first, then we can start thinking of a plan of action. I'm not going to let them get away with this…"

"Sothe…" Micaiah muttered; she was slowly beginning to regain consciousness already.

"Rest," Sothe said while shaking his head. "We'll be fine. We're going to tend to the injured knights around here and then come back to check on you, okay?"

"That's not it…" Micaiah spoke while shaking her head slowly. "It's about…that other me…"

"What…did you notice something?" Sothe was anxious to hear the conclusion she came up with.

"There's no mistaking it…I know that's me." Micaiah confirmed, causing everyone's eyes to go wide. "That voice…that magic…I know for a fact…but at the same time, she isn't me. There was a look in her eyes that I couldn't describe…I don't know where she came from or what happened to her, but I know somewhere along the line her heart became tainted with darkness. A deep rooted darkness that cannot be purged so easily…"

"Are you saying…you don't want us to kill her?" Zihark asked. "Even if she is you…she's not good…"

"No…she's been led down the wrong path…I can feel it…" Micaiah responded. "I don't know if I'm strong enough just yet to face her head to head, but I'm going to try it next time we meet."

"But Micaiah, she might kill you next time!" Aran objected. "She's…stronger than we expected."

"I have to improve too…" Micaiah replied. "I don't know anything else about her, but I do know one thing.

I'm going to save her."


	6. Chapter 5: Siege

"Save her?" Micaiah's words flew right over Sothe's head. "I don't understand…how do you plan to do that?"

"I…" Micaiah paused. "I don't know yet. But I do know I can't leave her in that state…I have too many questions for her…"

"Ugh…" Sothe sighed, shaking his head back and forth. "You're so stubborn…but I guess I can understand this time…she gave me this weird vibe too; and you always find some way to get what you want…"

"Because you're always there to help me get it…" Micaiah replied with a soft smile. "There was something else about her that bothered me…she said something on her way out."

"She did…?" Edward rubbed the back of his head. "I didn't hear anything…" He was still getting over the shock that he was bested in swordsmanship along with Zihark.

"I believe she said… 'There's no such thing as second chances'" Micaiah recalled. "I don't know what that means, but I know something has happened…"

"They also brought up Crimea…" Pelleas added. "I wonder if things are alright with Queen Elincia…Another pressing matter is Ragnell…"

"General Ike's blade…" Jill let out a heavy sigh. "I do hope he's alright…how she obtained that blade, I don't know…"

"And the strange man accompanying her…" Nolan stroked his chin in deep thought. "There are many mysteries afoot right now. Thinking about them all at once will just jumble our thoughts. I believe we should rest before deciding an appropriate course of action."

"Wise as ever, Nolan…" Leonardo gave an approving nod.

"Yes…we should rest…" Micaiah nodded. "I'm a little sore…and…" She started coughing violently, cheeks soon covered with a dark red hue. "Ngh…"

"Micaiah!?" Sothe placed the back of his hand on Micaiah's forehead. "She's burning up…! She was fine just a second ago…!"

"She needs bed rest immediately. The stress she went under today is likely getting to her already," Laura demanded. "We can discuss this later. Sothe, please follow me."

"Right…" Sothe nodded, following right after Laura with Micaiah still in his arms. Too many unanswered questions were lingering about in his mind. "What exactly is going on around here….?

.

.

{A few days later}

Empress Sanaki just received a letter from former King Pelleas regarding the situation in Daein. Her eyes widened at the news, and she slammed her hands down on the desk. "Unbelievable…! How could something like this happen!?"

"Is everything alright, Empress?" Sephiran asked while looking over her shoulder. "The color of your face has gone quite pale…"

"This letter…" Sanaki struggled to speak for a moment. "I believe I should take a trip to Daein to see if my sister…the Queen, is all right...I must also confirm Ike's whereabouts…" Sanaki nodded firmly to herself, beginning to stand up.

"Are you sure leaving now is a wise idea?" Sephiran was subtly reminding Sanaki of her duties as Empress. "What is this sudden cause for worry?"

"You see…" Sanaki took a deep breath. "Daein's castle was attacked by a dark version of Micaiah and a mysterious axe wielding knight clad in blue!"

"Oh…" Sephiran could see what caused Sanaki such worry. "Two Micaiah's in one place? One being evil no less…? I can't say I foreshadowed such an event…"

"Not only that…but this 'Dark Micaiah'…she was wielding Ragnell." Sanaki's sentence left a foreboding tension lingering in the air.

Now, Sephiran was starting to take this situation quite seriously. "Wielding Ragnell? Now this is a problematic issue…"

"Exactly!" Sanaki was glad Sephiran was agreeing with her. "This cannot be taken lightly! We must go over there immediately! I can leave someone else in charge for a few days…"

"Don't act rash now, young Empress," Sephiran warned. "I will stay here and take care of things. Take some Pegasus Knights with you and return as quickly as you can."

"Empress…!" Sigrun darted into the room, panting heavily. "We have a problem! Mysterious armored soldiers have started to attack the castle!"

"What!?" Sanaki's eyes widened. "What's happening!? Where is the rest of the army!?"

"Tanith is taking care of them as we speak…" Sigrun replied. "But their numbers aren't large…they attacked with a force of ten total soldiers…"

"Only ten!?" Sanaki wasn't hearing anymore of this. "We must evacuate the people first! Defend them, then focus on cornering this threat so we can defeat them!"

"I'll issue the orders right away!" Sigrun nodded, and then proceeded to run off and prepare to enter the fray herself.

"A force of ten is proving to be formidable to Begnion's army?" Sephiran wasn't quite sure how to process. "I believe we should take a look at things…"

.

"Yah! Ha!" A skinny knight clad in red armor slashed through an Axe General with her Red Tempest Blade. A long purple pony tail protruded from the back of her helmet, flowing gracefully along with her movements. "Come on, isn't there anyone who can clash blades with me!?" The Red Knight exclaimed while resting her blade on her shoulder.

"This woman…" Tanith grunted while riding on her Pegasus. "Just her alone has been enough to take down a majority of our forces…!"

"Hey, you!" The Red Knight exclaimed while pointing her blade at Tanith. "Are you just going to stand there and watch, or are you going to come down and fight? So far, you look like the only competent one around here!"

Tanith halted for just a moment; hearing the voice of the Red Knight directed at her made her realize something. She's heard that voice before, the only issue was she couldn't remember where or who it belonged to. "You…" Clicking her heels on her Pegasus, the Seraph Knight charged forward with a Sliver Greatlance, aiming a sharp stab towards the Red Knight.

The female leapt to the side, evading the lance with ease; raising her blade, she swung it down, sending a vicious blade of wind in Tanith's direction. Tanith evaded the strike, flying back up into the air after. "Oh, you're more competent than I thought…anyone else would've been finished by such a blow!"

"I think she's mocking me…" Tanith grumbled under her breath.

"Stop playing around with your food, Reddy." A knight clad in yellow armor walked in, a bow strapped to his back. Unlike the others, this one wore no helmet. He had short blonde hair and red eyes, along with a slim build. He chuckled as he walked into the scene.

"Ugh…" A heavy sigh was exhaled from the female clad in red armor. "I'm just searching for a worthy opponent. I can handle these little flying knights on my own!" Just then, a meteor dropped down on the pair of knights from above; they both leapt to the side to evade the spell. "Huh?" Looking up, the Red Knight noticed Sanaki standing on a balcony, glaring towards the pair of colored Knights.

"Empress!" Tanith was more than relieved to see Empress Sanaki taking action.

"If you value the lives of your soldiers and yourselves, you will leave immediately…" Sanaki glared towards the two knights.

"Oh?" The Yellow Knight waltzed forward, unstrapping his Double Bow from his back, pointing it towards Sanaki. "The little Empress wishes to enter the fray, hm…? Very well, let's have a little contest, Empress of Begnion…"


	7. Chapter 6: Siege Part 2

"A wager..?" Sanaki questioned the Yellow Knight, keeping her glare trained on the blonde. "I don't have time for your silly little games; you WILL vacate this castle immediately." She demanded.

"Now, now…don't be so uptight, cute lil thing," the Yellow Knight said with a sly grin. "Why don'tcha hear me out! Otherwise little Reddy here is gonna slice and dice ya up!"

"Don't put words in my mouth, you insufferable twit!" Red Knight exclaimed with a tick mark on her forehead. Suddenly, her blade was drawn at the Yellow Knight's neck. "Otherwise I'll slice your head right off!"

"This is exactly why I like you! For a newbie, you have a lot of flare!" Yellow Knight exclaimed with a widening grin.

"That voice…" Sanaki's eyes narrowed towards the Red Knight. "Why does she sound familiar…"

"Ha!" Sigrun flew in while tossing a Spear forward, attempting to catch one of the two colored knights. They both split ways and jumped in opposite directions.

"Don't interrupt us!" Red exclaimed while swinging her blade forward, unleashing a literal tempest in Sigrun and Tanith's direction; it was just as strong to the Seraph Knights as wind magic, so they were thrown around before falling off their Pegasus's and hit the floor.

"Sigrun! Tanith!" Sanaki was quick to hurry down the stairs to her two trusted knights.

"Now now…" Red kept her blade trained on Sanaki, causing her to halt in her tracks. "Listen here, Empress… I like you, I think you're cute. But as things stand right now, you're under our control, whether you like it or not…"

"As she said," Yellow commented with a grin; he pulled out his Double Bow and aimed it towards Sigrun and Tanith. "This little castle is currently under our control! The evacuation process is being only without hitch simply because we do not wish to involve civilians in this little squabble."

"What is it you want…" Sanaki spoke in a slightly passive voice; she did not wish to push the lives of her closest friends in danger due to any rash actions.

"Hold on a second…" Sephiran spoke while slowly approaching Sanaki's side. "I implore you mysterious knights to reconsider." His tone was low, threatening. He wasn't having anyone threatening Sanaki and thinking they could get away with it. "Otherwise the consequences may be dire if you choose to continue this little farce."

"Prime minister…!" Tanith and Sigrun exclaimed. They were glad to see him stepping up in a time of crisis.

"Oh…?" The Red Knight tilted her head slowly at Sephiran. "Graced by the presence of the Prime Minister of Begnion? This is turning out a little better than I initially thought it would…"

"Now, now Reddy…" Yellow Knight said with a shake of his head. "You tend to get carried away; we're not here to pick big fights!" And unfortunately, by the time he said this Red Knight had already darted off with her impeccable speed. "Oh dear…"

"Hyah…!" Within a second, Red closed the distance between herself and Sephiran. Already swinging her blade down, Sephiran hardly had any time to react; the male shifted to the side, the blade grazing his arm; the tempest unleashed from the blade caused him to stagger back. "Come on, no one's been strong enough to stand up to my blade yet!"

"You're quicker than I remember…" Sephiran commented while dusting off his shoulder. It appeared that he deduced the identity of the Red Knight already. "I'm not quite sure what's happened to you, but I can tell you're not quite yourself…"

"I don't know what you're talking about…" Red kept her blade at the ready, just hoping Sephiran would strike back. "I am the Red Knight."

"Yes, don't listen to his lies, sweet cheeks!" Yellow Knight grinned while draping his arm around Red's shoulders, only for her to slam the hilt of her blade into his gut, sending him staggering back a step. "Oh, still feisty for a newbie…I love it."

"Leave this place at once!" Sanaki ordered. "I care not for who you are, but I do know you will leave this castle immediately."

"Actually…" The Yellow Knight commented. "It appears our little wager will have to wait. For it will be you who is vacating the premises within a few moments, my little Empress."

"What are you talking about…?" Tanith sneered towards the two colored knights.

"Already? But I was just starting to have fun…!" Red complained. "I need a good dual!"

"We have business in Crimea, you know…" Yellow said before snapping his fingers. "But in the meantime, this castle will be our secondary headquarters. I'm sure the king will be very appreciative of this." Seconds after he spoke, multiple explosions occurred, various cannonballs flying through the castle walls and into the interior.

"Ah…!" Sanaki brought her hands up to her mouth, a loud gasp escaping her as the cannonballs continued to ravage the castle, sending the remaining soldiers into a mass panic.

"What is this!?" Sigrun questioned.

"Boo…" Red let out a huff and returned her sword to its sheathe. "I can't believe you're robbing me of my fun like this…" Turning her back, she casually began to walk off as the cannonballs continued to fire from outside. "Fine, I'll just go ahead to Crimea, I'm sure Green has already given Queen Elincia the message."

"Hey you, get back here!" Sanaki ordered, but she was quickly scooped up by Sephiran, who handed her off to Sigrun. "Sephiran!?"

"Take her out of this place, get her to Daein," Sephiran ordered Sigrun. "I'll handle things here."

"Yes, sir…come, Empress Sanaki, we must escape with haste…!" Sigrun placed Sanaki on her Pegasus, which began to rise into the air along with Tanith's.

"W-Wait! Sephiran!" Sanaki exclaimed in worry.

"I'll be fine…" Sephiran spoke with a soft smile. "I'll see you again before long, Sanaki." With a nod, Sigrun and Tanith fled the scene and took to the skies. With them gone, Sephiran could finally turn his attention to the Yellow Knight, an ominous aura beginning to surround him. "Well then…shall we get started?"

"Heh…" The Yellow Knight grinned; multiple grunts allied with him began to flood the hallways, leaving Sephiran in the middle of it all. "Well, this is a way to go out, isn't it? I'm glad you didn't want her to see this." With his bow at the ready, his grin shifted to something much more sadistic. "Farewell, Lehran. I'll give you that death you've been waiting for."


	8. Chapter 7: Battle Preparations

A sudden wave of tragedy suddenly strikes the land of Tellius. In Crimea, the peaceful land has been stricken with a declaration of war from a mysterious knight clad in Green Armor. This sudden attack has left Queen Elincia speechless, struggling to find a response that will avoid battle while obtaining the answers she demands. In Daein, Queen Micaiah is hit with a startling attack from none other than a broken mirror image of herself. This attack leaves her pride wounded, but she is determined to repair the broken soul of her other half currently known as Dark Micaiah. In Begnion, the capital Sienne is siege by a strangely familiar knight clad in red armor, and a knight in yellow armor, forcing the Empress Sanaki to flee while leaving Prime Minister Sephiran behind to deal with the assailants. Just what do these mysterious knights want and how will the three monarchs deal with this impending threat? There are too many questions, and not enough answers.

.

.

Within Crimea Castle, Queen Elincia attempted to plan a course of action after the attack a few days prior. She was still stumped, so the meeting had slow progress. "I apologize to everyone…I do not mean to waste your time with this…I am just at a loss on how to proceed…"

"Do not worry about it, Queen Elincia…" Lucia said with a reassuring smile. "It's understandable. That man and his army did come out of nowhere…claiming that they do not belong to any neighboring countries…"

"A very troublesome group indeed…" Geoffrey commented. "I wonder if our allies are all right…"

"I'll have to send a letter to check in with Queen Micaiah and the Empress later…" Elincia concluded. "I have also enlisted the help of what remains of the Greil Mercenaries…Sir Ike and Sir Soren are still…not accounted for."

"My Queen!" Kieran exclaimed, rushing into the room with a look of urgency.

"What's wrong, Kieran?" Astrid questioned.

"He looks hungry…" Ilyana commented, though her mind was usually focused on food. Even to that very moment.

"I-I was scouting out with the guards, and I found something…" Kieran looked nervous.

"What was it…?" Elincia slowly answered.

"This…" Kieran pulled out a bloodied Tempest Blade. "This was found just a few kilometers from Greil's retreat…we traced it back to a village and…"

"LET ME SEE THAT!" Ilyana suddenly shouted, catching everyone off guard. It wasn't like her to show emotion for anything other than a full course meal; needless to stay, she startled everyone.

"I-Ilyana dear, are you alright…?" Aimee questioned with a surprised and worried expression on her lips.

"P-Please…just let me see it…" Ilyana pleaded.

"Yes, of course…" Kieran nodded, handing the Tempest Blade over to Ilyana.

"Is there something special on that sword…? Minus…the blood…" Lucia inquired.

"This sword…I remember…" Ilyana started; her lips started to quiver and her eyes began to water. "No…no…no…no…" She just kept repeating the word.

"Ilyana…? Ilyana…!" Ranulf called out, trying to get her attention. "This is throwing me off, she's never like this…"

"This is Mia's sword…." Ilyana finally managed to stammer.

"How can you tell…?" Aimee spoke slowly once again. She knew that Ilyana had a special place in her heart for the swordswoman mentioned; she was one of the few things Ilyana would talk about aside from food. "Anyone could have used that sword, you know…"

Ilyana shook her head slowly, but frantically. Holding the bloodied sword up, she pointed to a particular mark made within the blade. "N-No…this is her's, I'm sure of it…"

{Flash back: Chaos Named.}

The Disciples of Order were powerful opponents; Micaiah's group was having some trouble with the gold-clad soldier who tended to spawn from literally nowhere. "Is there an end to them…?" Ilyana questioned while using an Arcthunder tome to finish off a Fighter; letting out a brief sigh of relief as the coast was clear around her. "Whew…"

"Ilyana…!" Laura was too far away to intervene, but she could at least shout to the Arch Sage. "Behind you!"

"Wha…" Ilyana turned, only to receive a powerful slash of wind from a Swordmaster's Tempest Blade. She let out a shriek of pain while rolling across the snow covered ground, sliding to a stop on her back. "Guh…" Looking up, she could see the Disciple of Order preparing the final blow. "…!"

"No!" Mia rushed in, Sliver Blade at the ready. She managed to parry the stab that would finish Ilyana, proceeded to go on intensive defense to protect the mage. She was a little sloppy due to her rushing, so she received a harsh slash across her chest, blood spurting immediately from the wound. Letting out a grunt of pain, Mia took her Sliver Blade and lunged it towards the enemy, killing them instantly before falling down to the ground next to Ilyana, motionless.

"MIA!" Ilyana crawled over Mia, shaking her slightly. "H-Hold on…L-Laura is on her way…!"

"A-Are you alright…?" It was like Mia didn't have any concern for her deep wound. "That hit look pretty nasty…"

"You're one to talk…you promised not to die, remember….!?" Ilyana grunted. It was only a few seconds after that when Laura used her Physic Staff to heal both Ilyana and Mia from afar. It didn't completely close their wounds, but it allowed them to continue fighting.

"Oh goddess…that was horrifying…" Laura let out a shaky exhale. "Are you two okay…? Those wounds looked dangerous…"

"I'm fine!" Mia hopped right up, attempting to hide the wince. "R-Really…I won't leave Ilyana, I keep my promises!"

"O-okay…" Letting out an exhausted sigh, Ilyana stood up while lifting up the Tempest Blade dropped by the fallen enemy. "H-Here…take this…This sword suits you more than a Sliver Blade…"

"Okay, okay…" Mia nodded, taking the blade from Ilyana. "I'll be sure to keep it on me at all times, and I won't be losing any fights anytime soon. After this is all over, I'm gonna challenge the Boss to another fight, and that time I will win!"

"Yeah, that's all well and good…" Naesala commented from a fair distance away, "But if you two little love birds haven't noticed, we're still in the middle of a battle! Don't keep your guard down otherwise the same thing might happen again. Man, beorc females are something else…"

.

.

"After that…she swore…" Ilyana stopped talking, her bottom lip quivering some.

"Some villagers in the nearby town stated that Mia fended off an entire group of bandits…after that, she was heading off to the Greil Mercenary hideout, but was stopped by an unknown soldier on the way there." Kieran continued his report, trying his best to ignore the gently sobbing Ilyana as to not get distracted. "She was defeated by this swordsman, but unfortunately that is all the witness could see. Where Mia's slayer vanished off to, we've no idea. The body is also missing, oddly enough…"

"I see…" Elincia nodded, briefly glancing at Ilyana. "Thank you for the report Kieran. Geoffrey, I think it's time to take action against the Green Knight."

"How do you know he's still in Crimea, Elincia?" Geoffrey inquired.

"Don't worry…I've had people…or rather, a specific person keeping an eye out on that man…" Lucia reassured. "He hasn't made any attacks on any civilians; it appears we were only his only targets. From what I've heard, his group is hanging near the swamps near Gallia…"

"So, is that our next destination? I'd hate to see what those guys could do to an unprepared Gallia…that Green Knight surely knows how to rile up Laguz…" Ranulf stood up. "Are we going to give chase now? I doubt we have much time left."

"Yes, we will be setting out immediately." Geoffrey was sure to take charge of this operation.

"Yes!" Marcia grinned, jumping for joy. "I can't wait to put those skunkbags in their place; right on the tip of my lance!"

"Ugh…do we really have to? Why can't we prepared today, drink tonight, then set out tomorrow?" Malkalov suggested, but everyone just shot him the look. "No…?"

"You lazy good for nothing…!" Marcia then proceeded to pound her brother in a comedic manner. "You don't even have any money don't you! OH! You were planning on spending the gold I earned from last week, weren't you!? I knew you were useless!"

"I-I was gonna pay you back! I swear…! Once I got the money I gambled away back…!" Malkalov attempted to defend himself.

"M-Marcia, please! Sir Malkalov is such a fine knight! He was going to pay you back!" Astrid tried to interfere, but for once she was held back because that woman had a serious problem with her attraction to Malkalov that needed to be ended soon.

Trying to ignore the banter occurring, the Queen turned her attention to Geoffrey. "I will be joining you all," Elincia said while standing from her seat.

"Are you sure you want to do this…?" Lucia asked. "It'll be dangerous. The people need their queen."

"Of course I'm sure. These people have threatened my land…I must take action against them."

"You Beorc still talk too much!" Lethe exclaimed with a bit of agitation. Her instincts were beginning to kick in and she could hardly hold herself back, not after being insulted by that Knight. "Let's just hurry and kill him!"

"I'll try to hold her back…" Ranulf sighed.

.

.

Near the border of Gallia and Crimea, the Green Knight set up a small camp for his crew for the day. He was soon joined by the Red Knight, and a female clad in white armor. "Ah, it's about time you showed up…"

"I apologize for being late, sir Green Knight…" Red Knight took a small bow. "I won't let it happen again."

"That's right…" Green Knight gave a sly grin at Red's apology. "Don't forget who has seniority over you…I was getting a little sick of your 'do whatever I want' attitude…"

"That's enough…" the White Knight finally stepped forward, removing her helmet to reveal Dark Micaiah. "If we wish to talk seniority here…"

"Enough!" Green Knight shook his head, not wanting to hear anything else. "How did the assaults in Daein and Begnion go?"

"Begnion has been completely taken over." Red Knight spoke with a small grin. "Though, I'm upset I didn't get the chance to have that dual…when will a worthy opponent be shoved in my face….!?"

"Always one for fighting…" Dark Micaiah said whilst shaking her head, pinching the bridge of her nose while letting out a soft sigh. "As for me, I had a nice run in with that other Micaiah…she's just as disgusting as I thought she'd be…"

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Red and Green exclaimed at the same time.

"That wasn't what you were supposed to do…you weren't supposed to let her see you!" Red flailed her arms around. "Why did you let her see you!? What else did you do!?"

"Nothing…nothing…get off my back, goodness…" Dark Micaiah yawned, waving her hand in a dismissive manner. "I just showed her a little despair…and the blade Ragnell…"

"YOU…..you're hopeless…" Red shook her head before grabbing her sword. "But…I haven't actually sparred against you yet, White Knight! Or should I call you Mica?"

"I'm not fighting you," Dark Micaiah replied with a distasteful sigh. "We have enemies on the way soon. I'm not exhausting myself before a battle that's going to be grand…I'll unsheathe this blade upon them, and they'll know true despair…"

"The Dark affinity truly suits you…" Green said with a small chuckle.

Just outside the tent, Heather, posing as a soldier listened in on the conversation. "Lady Lucia was correct to put me on the job for this…" With a sly grin, Heather removed her helmet and proceeded to sneak her way away from the encampment to rendezvous with Lucia. She was halted by a knife suddenly coming to her neck. "…!"

"I would not recommend taking another step further…" Volke spoke quietly, but his tone of voice was more than enough to get the threat across.

"You're not going to kill me…?" Heather questioned calmly. She knew about Volke all right, and she didn't dare to go against his commands.

"My job isn't to kill you," Volke replied.

"You're on their side now…?" Heather knew Volke wasn't going to answer any other question.

Volke nodded slowly, moving to restrain Heather's arm behind her back. "It's a new contract. Don't take it personally. But, if I'm given the word, expect your life to end in an instant."


End file.
